Hay-fork handle.



G. REYNOLDS. HAY FORK HANDLE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15, M09.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

amoawcoz GEORGE REYNOLDS, OF FITZHUGH, OKLAHOMA.

HAY-FORK HANDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

Application filed September 15, 1909. Serial No. 517,900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fitzhugh, in the county of Pontotoc and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay-Fork Handles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in handles and more particularly to a connection whereby a pitchfork or other tool ma be connected to a handle so that should either the tool or handle be broken it may be readily replaced.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical hay fork handle yfvhiich has improved means for securing the l Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangements hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side or edge view of the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on the line 4.t in Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a detail view on a reduced scale showing a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the head of an ordinary hay fork having a plurality of tines united by a cross bar 2, which latter is formed at its center with a fiat faced shank 3.

4 denotes my improved connecting toolfastening member or handle, which latter may be provided with an integral handle or hand gripped portion but which is preferably provided with a socket 5 to receive an ordinary wooden handle 6 in order that such handle may be readily replaced should it be broken. The socketed end 5 of the member 4 is preferably offset slightly as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the opposite end of the body portion of said member is also offset to provide one section 7 of a two part clamp which receives the shank 3 of the fork or other tool 1. The other part or section 8 of the clamp has its inner end bifurcated to provide spaced arms 9 which straddle the body portion of the member 1 and are pivoted thereto by a transverse rivet bolt or the like 10. The outer portions of the two half sections 7, 8 of the clamp are tapered outwardly and screw threaded as shown at 11 to receive a tapered or cone-shaped sleeve nut 12 whereby the clamp sections 7 8 may be forced together to efiectively grip the shank 3. Said shank 3 which is preferably of rectangular shape in cross section is arranged in opposing seats or recesses 13 formed in the flat inner faces of the clamp sections 7, 8 so that it will be prevented from turning or twisting and will be securely retained in position. However, to prevent the fork or other tool from slipping out of the device should the clamp nut or sleeve work loose, I preferably employ a retaining member 14, here shown in the form of a wire bail having one end pivoted and its other end provided with a hook to take over the cross piece or bar 2 of the fork, or to engage a suitable shoulder or seat on the tool fastening to the handle. As illustrated the member 14 is formed from a single piece of wire by bending the same at its center to form a hook 15 and then to provide parallel arms 16 terminating in diverging extremities provided with eyes 17 to receive the pivot 10, as clearly shown in Fig; 3. The arms 16 of said member lie in longitudinal grooves 18 formed in the clamp section 8 so that the sleeve nut 12 will effectively retain the member in position. This construction, however, will enable the hook 15 of the member to be sprung out of engagement with the bar 2 of the fork when the sleeve nut 12 is screwed outwardly to its released position. The X- terior of the sleeve nut 12 may be of any form and construction but it is here shown as at diametrically opposite points with lugs 19 whereby it may be more readily turned.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing I have shown the invention applied to a three tine fork. In this embodiment instead of employing a single retaining member 14:, I provide similar but independent members 14 the hookshaped outer ends 15* of which engage the cross bar of the fork on opposite sides of the central tine. In said Fig. 5 1 denotes the fork or other tool, l1 the screw threads on the two sections of the clamp, and 12 the sleeve nut.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A tool fastening device comprising a body member provided with a clamp section, a co-acting clamp section pivotally mounted on said body member, said clamp sections being externally threaded and adapted to receive a tool shank between them, and a sleeve nut for retaining the clamp sections in engagement with the tool shank.

2. A tool fastening device comprising a body member provided with a clamp section, a co-acting clamp section pivotally mounted on said body member, said clamp sections being externally threaded and adapted to receive a tool shank between them, a sleeve nut for engagement with the clamp sections and means to engage a tool and prevent longitudinal movement of the latter in the devlce, said means being retained in operative position by said sleeve nut.

3. A tool fastening device comprising a body member provided with a clamp section, a co-acting clamp section pivotally mounted on said body member, said clamp sections being externally threaded and adapted to reveive a tool shank between them, said swinging clamp section being formed with a longitudinal groove, a hookshaped engaging member pivotally mounted and adapted to lie in said groove, a sleeve nut for engagement with said clamp sections and adapted to retain the fastening member in said groove.

4. A tool fastening device comprising a body member having means at one end for the attachment of a handle, and at its other end a clamp section, a co-acting swinging clamp section having a bifurcated inner end to straddle the body member, a transverse pivot uniting said swinging clamp section to the body member, the two clamp sections being tapered outwardly and externally screw threaded, and their flat opposing inner faces being recessed to receive the flat faced shank of the tool, said swingin clamp section being also formed with longitudinal grooves, a tool-retaining member having spaced portions to lie in said grooves united at their outer ends by hook-shaped portions to engage the tool, the inner ends of said spaced portions being provided with eyes to receive said pivot, and a tapered sleeve nut to engage with said clamp sections.

5.'A tool fastening device comprising a body member provided with a clamping section, a coacting clamp section pivotally mounted on said body member, said clamp sections being externally threaded and adapted to receive a tool shank between them, a sleeve nut for retaining the clamp sections in engagement with the tool shank, and a pivoted tool-engaging and fastening member pivoted on said body member.

(5. A tool fastening device comprising a body member, a tool shank-receiving and clamping means thereon, and a tool-engag ing means secured to said body member independently of said shank-receiving and clamping means and adapted to be retained by the latter in engagement with a tool to prevent longitudinal movement of the tool when the clamping means works loose.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE REYNOLDS.

\Vitnesses V. G. ANTHONY, E. J. hflnnnrr'r. 

